Article of repose for supporting the body of a person



June 16 1959 P. s. FLETCHER ,39

ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE 'BODY OF A PERSON Filed Feb. 23', 195 5 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 T"? v 142 144 na y/ INVENTOR. PETER STEWART FLETCHER A T'TO'RNEY.

June 16, 1959 P. s. FLETCHER 2,890,742

ARTICLE OF REPOSE 0R SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON I Filed Feb. 25, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. PETER STEWART FLETCHER ATTORNEY.

J1me 1959 P; s. FLETCHER I 2,890,742.

ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Filed Feb. 23, 1955 I Fififl.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 512 516 see 532 INVENTOR. PETER STEWHRT FEETCHER A TTORNEY.

Unite rates ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Peter Stewart Fletcher, Boynton Beach, Fla., assignor to Anton Lorenz, Boyton Beach, Fla.

This invention relates to articles of furniture and more particularly to articles of repose for supporting the body of a person wherein body supporting means are rockably mounted on a support.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved rocking mechanism for the body supporting means of a reclining chair or the like of above described type.

Another object of the invention is to improve on the construction of articles of repose for supporting the body of a person as now customarily made.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a reclining chair according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a different embodiment of a reclining chair according to the invention,

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a reclining chair according to the invention,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of still another embodiment of a reclining chair according to the invention,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a detail of the chair shown in Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a difierent embodiment of the detail shown in Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a reclining chair according to the invention, and

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the chair shown in Fig. 7 wherein, however, the movable members of the chair are in the reclined position.

Referring now to Fig. 1, 10 generally indicates a support made of tubular material bent in suitable manner. On each side of the chair a bar 12 is rigidly connected with the frame of the support 10 by rivets, screws, or the like.

14 generally indicates a seat and back unit comprising a seat 16 and a back-rest 18 rigid with each other. On each side of the chair the front end of the seat 16 is pivotally connected at 20 with the lower end of a sus pending link 22, the upper end of which is pivoted at '24 to the bar 12 of the support 10.

Furthermore, on each side of the chair a guiding link 26 is pivoted to the rear leg 28 of the support 10 at 30. The upper end of said guiding link 26 is pivoted to the unit 14 and more particularly to the seat 16 of said unit 14 at 32.

Said guiding link 26 has an extension 34 projecting downwardly beyond its pivotal connection 30 with the support 10, a spring 36 connected at its ends with said extension 34 of the guiding link 26 and the rear leg 28 of the support 10 tends to urge the guiding link 26 against a stop 38 mounted on the support 10 for bringing the movable members of the chair into the sitting position shown in full lines. When the movable members of the chair are in said sitting position, the pivotal atent 2,890,742 Patented June 16, 1959 movable members of the chair into a reclined position,

for example into the extreme reclined position, shown in dash-and-dot lines, such a displacement of the movable members of the chair may be obtained by a slight pressure against the back-rest 18 for overcoming the re- '1 sistance offered by the guiding link 26, the upper end of which is forwardly inclined as mentioned above.

The sitting position of the movable members of the chair is limited by the abutting engagement of the guiding link 26 with the stop 38. The extreme reclined position of the movable members of the chair, shown in dash-and-dot lines, is limited by the suspending link 22 in conjunction with the guiding link 26 when they reach the positions 22 and 26 respectively.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, again the front end of the seat and back unit 114 is suspended from the bar 112 of the support by means of the suspending link 122 pivoted to the seat 116 at 120 and to said bar 112 at 124. Furthermore, again a guiding link 126 is pivoted to the rear leg 128 of the support 110 at 130 and to the seat 116 of the unit 114 at 132. Therefore the movement of the seat and back unit 114 are controlled in the same manner as described above in connection with Fig. 1, the sitting position of the movable members of the chair being again limited by an abutting engagement of the guiding link 126 with the stop 138.

According to Fig. 2, however, a leg-rest has been added to the structure, said leg-rest being pivoted to the support 110 at 124 in coaxial alignment with the pivotal connection between the suspending link 122 and the bar 112. The leg-rest 140 has an extension 142 projecting upwardly beyond the pivotal connection 124 between the leg-rest 140 and the support 110. The movements of the leg-rest 140 are controlled in dependence on the movements of the unit 114 by means of a connecting rod 144 pivoted to the extension 142 of the leg-rest 140 at 146 and to the back-rest 118 at 148.

The sitting position of the movable members of the chair is shown in full lines, while the extreme reclined position of the movable members of the chair is shown in dash-and-dot lines.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the link mechanism controlling the movements of the seat and back unit 214 again corresponds to the link mechanism described above in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, i.e. a suspending link 222 is pivoted to the bar 212 of the support 210 at 224 and is further pivoted to the seat 216 of the unit 214 at 220; moreover, the guiding link 226 is pivoted to the support 210 at 230 and to the seat 216 at 232.

According to Fig. 3, however, the upper end of the structure of the leg-rest 240 is pivoted to the bar 212 at 250 at a point spaced from the pivotal connection 224 between the bar 212 and the suspending link 222. The guiding link 226 has an extension 234 projecting downwardly beyond the pivotal connection 230 between the guiding link 226 and the support 210. The movements of the leg-rest 240 are controlled in dependence on the movements of the unit 214 by means of a connecting rod 252 pivoted to the structure of the leg-rest 240 at 254 and to said extension 234 of the guiding link 226 at 256.

The sitting position of the movable members of the chair is shown in full lines, while the extreme reclined position of the movable members of the chair is shown 0 in dash-and-dot lines.

,cQnnection 32 between the guiding link 26 andthe seat According to the embodiments shown in Figs, 4 ands,

again a suspending link 322 is pivoted to the bar 312 of the support 310 at 324 and is further pivoted at 320 to the front end of the seat 316 of the seat and back unit 314. However, the guiding means arranged between the rear leg 328 of the support 310 and the rear-portion of the seat 316 of the unit 314 is formed by a roller 358 journalled on the rear leg 328 of the support 310 and engaged with a cam 360 attached to the seat portion 316 of the unit 314. Said cam 360 has a recess 362 for engagement with the roller 358 when the movable members of the chair are in the sit-ting position so as to hold same in the latter.

When the unit 314 is brought from the sitting position, shown in full lines, into the reclined position, shown in dash and-dot lines, the carnming surfaces of the cam 360 move along the roller 358 for controlling the movements oftheunit 314. i

The embodiment of the guiding means shown in Fi 6 may be substituted for the embodiment of the guiding means shown in Figs. 4 and 5. According to Fig. 6, the cam 460 is rigidly connected with the rear leg 428 of the support 410, while the roller 458 is rotatably mounted on a lug 464 rigidly mounted on the seat portion 416 of the unit 414. Again the cam 460 is provided with a recess 462 for engagement with the roller 458 when the movable members of the chair are in the sitting position.

According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 7 and 8, again a suspending link 522 is swingably mounted at 524 on a bar 512 rigid with the support 510 of tubular material.

A seat frame 516 of tubular material having on each side of the chair projections 566 forming arm-rests is pivoted to the lower end of the suspending link 522 at 520. The upper end of a guiding link 526 is pivoted to the seat 516 at 532 at a point to the rear of the pivotal connection 520 between the seat 516 and the suspending link 5 22 The guiding link 526 is pivoted to the rear leg 528 of the support 510 at 530. A back-rest 518 having a downward extension 568 is pivoted to the seat 516 at 570. The downward extension 568 of the backrest 518 is pivoted at 572 to one end of a controlling iink 574, the other end of which is pivoted to the rear leg 528 of the support 510 at 530 in coaxial alignment with the pivotal connection between the guiding link 526 and the support 510.

Thus, upon a rocking movement of the back-rest 518 from the position shown in Fig. 7 into the position shown in Fig. 8, the seat 516 pivoted to the guiding link 526 and the suspending link 522 is brought into the position shown in Fig; 8.

The'guiding link 526 has a downward extension 534 pivoted to one end of a connecting link 552 at 556. The other end of said connecting link 552 is pivoted at 554 to a leg-rest 540 swingably mounted on the support 510 at 524 in coaxial alignment with the pivotal connection between the guiding link 526 and the support 510.

Therefore, during above described movement of the backrest 518 and seat 516 from the sitting position shown in Fig. 7 into the reclined position shown in Fig. 8, the leg-rest 540 is swung forwardly and propelled upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 8.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, and that various omissions and changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for the arrangements shown and described may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example, the guiding cam means shown in Figs. 4 and 5, or 6 respectively, could be substituted for the guiding link means shown'in Figs. 2, 3, 7 and 8.

Furthermore, any desired leg-rest and its control could be applied to the chairs shown in Figs. 1 or 4-6.

Furthermore, means could be provided for holding the movable members of the chair in any desired position.

What I claim is:

1. A reclining chair comprising a support, body-supporting means comprising a seat and back-rest, and means movably mounting the seat on the support for movement between a horizontally-disposed sitting position and a rearwardly-tilted reclining position, said mounting means comprising a suspending link pivotally connected to a portion of the support above the forward end portion of the seat and depending therefrom, the suspending link being pivotally connected to the forward end portion of the seat and supporting the same, and a guiding link pivotally mounted on the support below the seat and upstanding therefrom, said guiding link being pivotally connected to the rear end portion of the seat, said suspending link being adapted to swing in a rearward and upward arc about its pivotal connection to the support to guide the forward end portion of the seat upwardly and rearwardly when the seat is moved to its reclining position, said guiding link being adapted to swing in a rearward and downward are about its pivotal connection to the suppont to guide the rear end portion of the seat downwardly and rearwardly when the seat is moved to its reclining position, the guiding link having a lower extension depending below its pivotal connection to the support, and biasing means connected to said lower extension for urging the latter in a rearward direction and thereby returning said seat from its reclining position to its sitting position.

2. A reclining chair comprising a support, body-supporting means comprising a seat and back-rest, and means movably mounting the seat on the support for movement between a horizontally-disposed sitting position and a rearwardly-tilted reclining position, said mounting means comprising a suspending link pivotally connected to a portion of the support above the forward end portion of the seat and depending therefrom, the suspending link being pivotally connected to the forward end portion of the seat and supporting the same, and a guiding link pivotally mounted on the support below the seat and upstanding therefrom, said guiding link being pivotally connected to the rear end portion of the seat, said suspending link being adapted to swing in a rearward and upward are about its pivotal connection to the support to guide the forward end portion of the seat upwardly and rearwardly when the seat is moved to its reclining position, said guiding link being adapted to swing in a rearward and downward are about its pivotal connection to the support to guide the rear end portion of the seat downwardly and rearwardly when the seat is moved to its reclining position, the guiding link having a lower extension extending below its pivotal connection to the support, and spring means connecting said lower extension to said support for urging said lower extension in a rearward direction and thereby returning said seat from its reclining position to its sitting position.

3. A reclining chair comprising a support, a body-supporting means comprising a seat and back-rest, and means movably mounting the seat on the support for movement between a horizontally-disposed sitting position and a rearwardly-tilted reclining position, said mounting means comprising a suspending link pivotally connected to a portion of the support above the forward end portion of the seat and depending therefrom, the suspending link being pivotally connected to the forward end portion of the seat and supporting the same, and a guiding link pivotally mounted on the support below the seat and upstanding therefrom, said guiding link being pivotally connected to the rear end portion of the seat, said suspending link being adapted to swing in a rearward and upward are about its pivotal connection to the sup port to guide the forward end portion of the seat up wardly and rearwardly when the seat is moved to its reclining position, said guiding link being adapted to swing in a rearward and downward are about its pivotal connection to the support to guide the rear end portion of the seat downwardly and rearwardly when the seat is moved to its reclining position, the guiding link having a lower extension depending below its pivotal connection to the support, and biasing means connected to said lower extension for urging the latter in a rearward direction and thereby returning said seat from its reclining position to its sitting position, said biasing means comprising a leg-rest pivotally mounted on the support for upward pivoting movement from a retracted position to an extended position, and a leg-rest actuating linkage connecting the leg-rest to the lower extension of the guiding link,

the weight of the leg-rest in its extended position acting through said actuating linkage upon said lower extension to urge the seat to its sitting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,204,785 Kindel Nov. 14, 1916 1,789,337 Knabusch Jan. 20, 1931 2,089,184 Champion Aug. 10, 1937 2,302,387 Greene et al Nov. 17, 1942 2,473,895 Mednick June 21, 1949 2,508,109 Glasco May 16, 1950 

